


Coming Out In Sympathy

by Huggle



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Castiel Has Nightmares, Dean Has Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 14:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6758029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huggle/pseuds/Huggle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean can't sleep without dreaming of Hell.  He tries every coping mechanism he can think of and nothing helps.</p><p>Now, Castiel understands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Out In Sympathy

**Author's Note:**

> I had gen intentions when writing this but you could take it as Dean/Cas. Originally posted to comment_fic back in 2010.

Sometimes, despite downing cheap whiskey like he was on a mission, Dean couldn’t get drunk enough to find peace in his own head.

Those were the bad nights. The nights where, though he was tired enough to just pass out on the floor, he kept walking up and down outside Bobby’s house. That way he wouldn’t wake either Bobby or especially Sam, who had some weird psychic sense of when Dean couldn’t sleep or was just too scared to try.

Both his brother and Bobby had tried to talk to him about it. Dean evaded, mocked, bitched and threw tantrums as the situation required until they got the hint. If he couldn’t face Hell in his dreams, how could he bring it into daylight and let it poison them as well?

It was the third sleepless night in a row for him when Castiel appeared in his room. Dean turned, wordlessly, from where he sat on the edge of the bed. He’d been about to sneak out again; for a moment, he was on the verge of telling Cas whatever he wanted – a lead on a new Lucifer killing weapon, an explanation for a peculiarity of human behaviour – it was going to have to wait. Just because he was too scared to sleep didn’t mind he wasn’t exhausted.

Something in the angel’s bearing told him Castiel wasn’t here on business.

Dean kicked off his shoes, pushed back the covers and got in. He rolled onto his side, and held up one side of the blanket. Castiel slipped out of his clothes, down to his boxers, and slid in beside Dean. He turned over so that his back was to Dean’s chest, and pulled the hunter’s arm across him.

“Cas?” Dean ventured. 

“You can’t sleep,” Castiel said, and his voice sounded so heavy, so broken, that Dean tightened his hold on the angel. “You see what happened to you, all the things you did, when you close your eyes. I didn’t understand before. When I had the power to settle your dreams. Now...now, I understand.”

Dean watched Castiel in the darkness for a while, until his breathing evened out again, and he realised the angel was sleeping. He leaned forward enough to press a kiss to Castiel’s temple, and prayed that tonight at least, they could sleep in peace.


End file.
